This is why we perform daily prayers five times a day, in each prayer we say at least in two rak’ats: "(Lord), guide us to the right path;" [the Quran; 1:6]. One supplicates to God once and for asking God’s forgiveness he/she says: "(Lord), guide us to the right path; [the Quran; 1:6]". How much do we need to ask for God’s forgiveness, and repeat it in prayers several times a day? Whereas, for being guided you perform seventeen rak'ats of obligatory prayers. Of these seventeen rak'ats, in ten rak’ats, you have to say, "(Lord), guide us to the right path!" [the Quran; 1:6].
What is this guidance? This is because we need this guidance every moment. If we are guided now, a minute later, we need this guidance again. If a minute later, we are guided, then the next minute, we need the guidance again. We are constantly facing dilemmas. In life, as we progress, we are constantly facing the dilemma of saying or not saying something, deciding or not deciding on something, saying something this way or another way. So, we need constant guidance of God. Piety means that we should be careful, because there are many misleading alternative ways to the right path. One might make a mistake somewhere and take one of the alternatives instead of the right path.
November 4, 1990
Statements made during a meeting with the officials of the courts for the clergy